A hero bobby has been reunited with the man he saved from bleeding to death in the street.

A hero bobby has been reunited with the man he saved from bleeding to death in the street.

Police officer Dave Hewitt rushed to the aid of Trevor Patterson who collapsed after a vein burst in his leg.

Mr Patterson lost four pints of blood and would have died if it had not been for PC Hewitt's actions.

He is now recovering at home and was yesterday able to thank the man who came to his rescue.

Mr Patterson, 54, of Coatsworth Court, Gateshead, said: "I am so grateful to PC Hewitt. If it wasn't for him I would not be here today. Another half an hour of losing blood like that and I would have died.

"That man saved my life and he is an absolute hero."

PC Hewitt, of Gateshead Police, was in a patrol car with officers Sgt Bob Donnelly and PC Paul Branwell when he saw Mr Patterson lying on the ground in Bensham Road, Gateshead, at 9.30am last Wednesday.

He immediately jumped out of the car and ran to his aid.

PC Hewitt said: "At first I thought he was having a fit and I saw an elderly lady was running to the nearest phone box.

"I established that he was breathing and saw there was a lot of blood coming from his leg.

"My colleague radioed for an ambulance which came quite quickly, but it felt like an age.

"I held his leg and put pressure on it to try and stop the bleeding and I managed to stem the flow."

Staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital later said Mr Patterson lost four pints of blood, and if it had not been for the actions of PC Hewitt he would have died.

PC Hewitt said: "In 26 years of service we have come across situations like this before - but only once or twice.

"I am just delighted I was able to do something to help and I hope someone would do that for anyone in my family."

Mr Patterson added: "I'd just gone out to the shops and it all happened so quickly. It was so lucky they were driving past. I can't thank him enough. "